Haiti Ministry
In 2018, two members of Gateway Baptist Church (Launceston), Ian and Lee Campbell, travelled to Haiti to visit a child they had been sponsoring through Compassion. During their visit, their translator, Denis Atis, took them to Despuzeau, a very poor community outside Port-au-Prince. There they discovered a local church serving around 500 children who had no access to education. Many of these children were living in extreme poverty, often eating only once a week and lacking adequate clothing.
Moved by this need, Ian and Lee returned to Tasmania and began raising funds to establish a school in Despuzeau. The school opened in October 2018 with a small number of students.
In 2019, a registered charity, PAC-Haiti, was established by a couple from the United States to support the ongoing operation of the school. Since then, Gateway Baptist Church has partnered in this work by channelling funds through its mission account to PAC-Haiti, who distribute the support via Denis Atis to meet the school’s needs.
After hearing Ian share about this great need when he visited as a guest speaker at our church, we felt led to support the work taking place in Despuzeau.
Funds are transferred in US dollars via PayPal, with all transactions receipted. Denis provides regular updates and photos, demonstrating how the funds are being used.
2025. Today, the school has grown to around 400 students—an encouraging testament to what God can do through faithful, practical support.
PAC-Haiti has a Facebook Page (pac-haiti) as well as a web page